Criteria

It's kind of like a quiz. To see what baby names you can come up with that fit my criteria.

1. Traditional but not too popular. And not made up. And it has to be spelled normally, like you could find it on a license plate keychain.

2. Our first two have biblical names that are two syllables. That works, but is not a requirement. Obviously we are not doing the same first initial for everyone; that's not my style.

3. It has to work with our last name and our other kids names. I've had perfect strangers advise me not to name any of our children Richard. I think I'm smart enough to know that. And I'm even going to make sure their initials don't spell something weird.

4. It has to be gender specific. That rules out Taylor and Jordan (and many others).

5. And I have to like it. So even though the name Jared fits the criteria, it makes me think of the Subway guy.

Everyone has a right to name their kid whatever they want, so of course I don't intend to offend anyone. These are my personal preferences for my kids.

Can you think of baby names that fit these criteria? Hopefully you will think of some that I haven't thought of yet. And vote on the sidebar on what you think it will be, a boy or a girl. We will probably find out the baby's gender some time after Christmas.

Pregnancy Rules

Three simple rules. That's all.

1. Prego is an Italian word meaning "I pray" and is used in response to "thank you." It is also a popular and very tasty brand of pasta sause. Please don't use this word to describe me.

2. Please don't tell me "You're so small!" It seems about the same as saying "You're huge!" Likewise, "You do not look __(number between 12 and 40)__ weeks!" seems just as pointless. Why do people feel the need to comment on the size of your middle, small or big? I'm putting in my time and feel as pregnant as I am supposed to.

On the other hand, if you feel that you absolutely must comment on how a pregnant woman looks, "You look terrific!" is always nice to hear, whether or not it is true.

3. Horror Stories. Yeah, I know my fair share of pregnancy, delivery, and misscarriage horror stories. There is a time and a place for swapping stories of this type, but please not in front of me while I'm pregnant.

I feel like pukeing constantly and I have never felt more tired in my life. Soon I will be comiserating about sciatic nerve pain, eventually about kicks to the kidneys and my hips being sore from sleeping, and having to pee every 20 minutes. And the reflux. There are more things that I have blissfully forgotten that will soon come back to memory with fondness. I'm not complaining, I'm just telling you so that you don't have to ask me how I'm feeling unless you really want to know.

If you are itching for a way to help me out, I'd be happy to lend you my first two children so that I can take a nap, provided that they are returned with Cafe Rio take out (hold the cilantro) and that Samuel comes back potty trained. There is also a mop in my closet that could use a pass on my kitchen floor, because I'm really not in the mood for mopping right now.

Bread

Some facts:

• Within 72 hours of milling wheat, 90% of its nutritional value has dissipated.


• All-purpose white flour has to have vitamins replaced which were removed in the milling process. Only the endosperm remains in white flour, while essential nutrients, oils, and fiber is found in the bran and germ.


• Any "whole wheat flour" you purchase at the store is missing lots of the nutritional value of freshly-milled-today whole wheat flour.


• When you buy something that is marketed as "whole wheat bread" chances are you are eating enriched white flour, and that it has carmel color added to make it darker colored (to trick you!) and of course, it has high fructose corn syrup in it. If you want true (store bought) whole wheat bread, the first ingredient should be "Stone ground whole wheat flour."

(source: http://www.healthbanquet.com/fresh-milled-flour.html)

Ok, so since I've recently decided to be uber picky about the bread I buy and eat and feed my family, I've discovered that there is no bread on the market (that I can afford) that meets my expectations. Hence, I have decided to make my own bread. Secondly, since I have decided that there is no wheat flour on the market that meets my expectations, I have also decided to mill my own wheat berries.

I have a great recipe (thanks to Aunt Sue for lending me Pantry Secrets, which you can make in just 1 hour!) and today I bought a grain mill (ok, the hand crank kind, but it's what I could afford for now...) I just baked my first loaves of fresh-milled whole wheat bread and they are beautiful and delicious. This bread is better tasting, has way more nutritional value and is therefore better for our bodies (I am a huge advocate of fiber!!!), and is infinetly cheaper than store bought bread.

(Ok, I confess that the milling was kind of a workout. It took me 20 minutes to grind enough flour for these two loaves, so I will definately be investing in a NutriMill in the near future, but for now Chris will do the milling for me, but not even a day in advance, mind you).

Ingredients: Freshly milled whole wheat flour, Sugar, Salt, Yeast, Soy Lecithin, Water. That's it!

I am hooked, and I feel so liberated!

High Fructose Corn Syrup Inventory

When I took a nutrition class at BYU about 6 years ago, I learned that most "wheat bread" is really not made with wheat flour; it's enriched white flour, with carmel coloring added to make it look darker. It didn't really have a whole lot of nutritional value. At that point in time, I resolved to only purchase bread which listed as the first ingredient "whole wheat flour." I have done this very successfully. I have been a careful consumer, and although we have paid more per loaf of bread, the result is more than just peace of mind. True whole wheat bread has better fiber and protein content. We are a very fiber-conscious household, and if we can get more than 4 grams of fiber per slice/serving of bread, bagel, tortilla, or pasta we feel like we've found the nutrition jackpot--this usually means anything that is designated as "whole wheat" or "whole grain."

Well, it's time to find a new loaf of bread again.

I have recently resolved to eliminate High Fructose Corn Syrup from my diet. It is an unneccessary sweetener in so many of our regular groceries, it almost makes me sick. If we consumers change the way we shop, the food industry will hear us. That is how we can make a change.

Take for example rbST. If you look on your milk carton, I guarantee you that it says "Made from cows not treated with the artificial growth hormone rBST." Ask my brother, and he'll tell you that artificial growth hormones as a principle are not bad, but the point is that consumers changed the industry overnight. When a large body of consumers changes the way it shops, the industry changes in response.

So with that said, I am changing the way I shop, and we are changing the way we eat. I've been the primary grocery-shopper for my household for 7 1/2 years (and for the last year and a half, I have also been a paid grocery shopper by trade), and I have come to rely on some favorite brands. Here is a list of all of our favorite, regular foods in my house that I now intend to replace with their non-HFCS sweetened couterparts. Well it is all about to change. And this is going to be painful.

• Sara Lee Classic 100% Whole Wheat Bread
• Yoplait Yogurt
• Smucker's Strawberry Jam
• Sweet Baby Ray's Barbeque Sauce
• Kraft Barbeque Sauce (all varieties)
• Heinz Worchestershire Sauce
• Hunt's Ketchup
• Wishbone Italian Salad Dressing
• Slim-Fast
• Mountain Dew (and all other sodas)
• Keebler Fudge-Stripe Cookies
• Mr. Yoshida's Original Gourmet Sauce
• Keebler Club Crackers
• Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookies
• Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
• Applesauce, most brads (unless it says "All Natural")
• Frosted Flakes Cereal

This list only represents the things I currently have in my house and intend to replace as soon as present stores are depleted. Few of our suspected-guilty favorites made the HFCS-free cut, including Cheerios, Peanut Butter, Bulls Eye Barbeque Sauce, Life Cereal, Quaker High-Fiber Oatmeal, Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce, Hunt's Tomato Sauce, Campbell's canned soups, etc.

While it might be hard to enjoy foods sweetened naturally instead of with HFCS, it is all a matter of conditioning. If you are conditioned to the taste of super-sweet applesauce, naturally sweetened applesauce will be hard to adjust to (hard to "swallow" if you will). That's why we're switching. I don't want to be accustomed to unnaturally sweetened products anymore. I want my children to appreciate the tast of applesauce for what it is: apples.

Once we've conquered HFCS, our next battle might be switching to free-range chicken, or grass-fed cows, but I can't wrap my brain around them all at once.

Here are some resources (from both sides of the debate) to educate yourself before you jump down my throat. I don't like debating, I just know what irks me, and HFCS irks me.

The movie that started it all: Food, Inc.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/25/corn.syrup.sugar/index.html
http://www.labelwatch.com/addinfo.php?aid=456;
http://www.sweetsurprise.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-fructose_corn_syrup
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fructose-corn-syrup/AN01588
A list of HFCS-free foods: http://www.stophfcs.com/list.html
http://www.ehow.com/list_5851584_list-high-fructose-corn-syrup.html

I welcome your input on your favorite HFCS-free brands.

Does Alanis Morissette do any acting?

So every time I hear an Alanis Morissette song come on the radio, I can't help but think that she would be an awesome Elphaba! She's got a political, nasal toned voice which fits the Elphaba character, and of course her trademark "yodel" between vocal registers. She has a grudge with the world, and I think she might, just might, look better if she were painted green.

Why hasn't anyone else thought of this?

Random Question

My favorite regular breakfast of choice is Life cereal with skim milk and a banana sliced into it.

What is your favorite and/or most regular breakfast?

Why I love Naperville

Welcome to Naperville, Illinois!

Why did we sarcastically say "Welcome to Naper-thrill" when we were teenagers? What were we thinking, wanting to get out of here all along, when now I can't wait to come back?

Here is a non-comprehensive list of what I love about my good old hometown:


10. Band concerts in the park

We were here for the 4th of July bash, with cannons!



9. Community Activities-Ribfest, The Last Fling, Haunted House, etc

8. Beatiful parks and playgrounds, plentiful biking and hiking trails, outdoor art

7. The Naperville Riverwalk
Here we are feeding the ducks.





6. Herrick Lake- hiking, biking, boating, picnicing

Yes we did get caught in the rain, but we loved it! Yeah, the humidity is....sticky....but to actually have rain was really refreshing!

5. The DuPage Children's Museum

For grown-ups as much as it is for kids. Chris and I came here on a date when we were engaged!









4. The Morton Arboretum-hike, bike, drive tour.

Open virtually every day of the year. It has something like 17,000 acres. What a beatiful place!



3. Good Eats--Chicago-style pizza and of course, hot dogs at Portillo's!!! (Enough calories in one meal that it is probably a good thing we only visit twice a year...)

2. Visiting Chicago (Watch for an entire post dedicated to the city, coming soon to a blog near you!)

***AND NUMBER ONE***

1. Visiting my family!

My parents and my brother's family, which includes 2 out of my kids' 3 cousins. They sure have a blast together! Plus, mom and dad have an Endless Pool!!! Talk about endless fun!













Naperville was recently rated the 3rd best place to live, and has repeatedly been rated highly for walkable community, raising kids, public libraries, etc. If only I could afford to live there!

Vote for David!!!

Need I say more?

Tonight is the night. Vote for your favorite David. I'll be watching devotedly and voting for David Cook. I have been pretty pleased with this season of American Idol, haven't you?

Oh, and last night on the news they showed a clip of Nigel Lythgoe(the Am Idol producer) annoucning that he plans to bring American Idol audtions to SLC next year. You better start practicing!!

Prediction for all you "Idol"ites out there

Why was everyone so surprised when Michael Johns was voted off? I wasn't. I was suprised that Syesha was in the bottom three, because I thought her performance this week was fabulous.

Here is my prediction of who will be voted off, but not in any order: Jason (ack!), Christy Lee Cook, Brooke White, and Carly Smithson. That leaves David Archuleta, David Cook, and Syesha as my prediction for the top three, then I think it's a toss up. Then again, Christy's performance this week was better than past weeks, so I could be wrong. And as I said before, I was surprised that Syesha was in the bottom three, so maybe she's not as popular as she is talented. That's another issue--is this a popularity contest or a talent contest? I've said before that David Archuleta is very talented, but I think his popularity is pulling him through consistently week after week--he's never been in the bottom bracket. He's talented, but soooo very young and kind of cookie-cutter in his performances that I don't think he will be the winner (but Jordin was only 17, right?). That leaves me with my money on David Cook, but he could suffer from the Chris Daughtry phenomenon and be out of the running prematurely. Okay, so I've given my predictions, then refuted them all. I really have no idea.

Good night.

*Update* I've put a poll in the sidebar for you to vote on who you think the next American Idol will be.

About honesty

Out of curiosity, last night I watched "The Moment of Truth." The contestants on this reality, win-me-some-money show have been through a polygraph exam on 50 personal questions, 21 of which are chosen for the show. They have to answer truthfully in front of their family members (and all of America), with the answers from their earlier polygraph test revealing if they are being honest or not. I have to say I was briefly entertained and then sorely disappointed.

The tag line at the beginning of the show is, "Is there an honest person left in America?" One of the contestants questions was "Have you ever said a credit card charge wasn't yours when in fact it was?" The girl had to answer honestly that yes, she's done that before (because that's what her polygraph would later reveal). If she said no when she really had, her lie would give her away, and she'd lose and be off the show. Here's where I'm disappointed: an "honest person" is not defined by the liars who are willing to admit to their lies on national television for a couple grand, it's the people who don't lie in the first place. So, great. The lady is a dishonest person who got away with it, but the show labels her "honest" and gives her $100,000. What's up with that?

The questions get increasingly personal, and have to do with whether or not you've been faithful to your spouse, and if there are secrets that would destroy your marriage, etc. (And even more that are not appropriate for my blog or my ears!) It wasn't entertaining. It was just sad. Sad that people aren't honest with their spouse. Sad that people aren't faithful to their spouse. What can a marriage be based on if not total honesty?

I have to conclude that I would never be cast on the show for several reasons: I don't do dishonest things like cheat on my spouse or with my creditors. (Makes for a pretty boring show!) Secondly, in an instance where I would have to confess a shortcoming or prejudice of mine, I can guarantee that my husband already knows about it: there are no secrets between us. And lastly, who would want to humiliate them self by answering questions about how they negatively perceive other people? That sounds a lot like "hanging out your dirty laundry" for all to see. It seems kind of pointless to me. (Lets not forget to mention that I would never voluntarily participate in this kind of thing anyway)

Anyway, here's TV's sorry attempt to see if anyone out there is honest. What a waste of my time!

I think I'm a groupie

Wow...I don't think I've had a crush on a 17-year old since I was...well, 17. He gives me the chills, he's so good! I'm looking forward to the rest of the season. Could little David Archuletta be the next American Idol?

(Yes, Rachael, I copied this from your blog...isn't imitation the best form of flattery?)

Loving and hating IKEA

Before the Beehive State was blessed with an IKEA of its own, I only got to go when I was in Illinois visiting my parents, and of course I couldn't get anything big because it wouldn't fit in an overhead compartment of a 747 (of course, a limited budget contributed to that problem also). Now that we have an IKEA close by, I've had the chance to get some trendy things I've needed for my home, and to covet everything else!

I really like their household accessories. I got bamboo placemats for, like, $1 each. I got a folding wooden plant stand for $6. You can get ceramic rice bowls for 55 cents each, a small dustpan and brush for $1, a teflon wok for $8, a gigantic roll of butcher paper for $6, a set of matching kids cups, plates, and plasticware for under $10, trendy measuring cups and spoons for about $3 a set, and the list goes on. As for the big stuff, I recently got an attractive solid oak stand/shelf that we use for shoes and gloves by the front door for a modest $50, and a rolling utility cart for the bathroom for $13. I really like browsing through the catalog and strolling through the store and seeing all the coordinating room decor, dreaming of an unlimited budget and full shopping cart bag. I think the prices are good, at least on the items I'm interested in. I love IKEA!

On the other hand, some of their products and some of their ways make me wonder... First of all, I would never buy furniture there unless it was solid wood. In high school I had an IKEA dresser that was mostly particleboard and although trendy and attractive, it turned out to be a piece of junk. Then, whenever I do buy furniture items or other accessories that require assembly, I am thoroughly insulted by the poorly depicted pictorial assembly instructions. Can't they use words? (Then of course I'd be complaining about the poor translation into 14 different languages, right?) How am I supposed to tell which way is up based on the picture? And if all else fails, you're supposed to resort to the last instruction: it is an image of a stick man on the phone with the IKEA store...yeah, I'm sure that would be a great trick in an ideal world!

Last spring I picked up a set of three stainless steel saucepans for $10. What a great deal, right? Within just a few uses, I noticed that the handle on one of the lids had cracked, allowing it to accumulate moisture which them morphed into mold between the lid and handle; then the handle on the actual pot fell off. Oh, and there's the really cool idea of mixing and matching your comforter cover with the polyester filling inside. (Covers come from around $20 and the polyester fill starts at $6 depending on the thickness). In theory, you can change your bedding "as often as you change your clothes" and can put in the heavy winter polyester fill or the light spring one. My only question is how do you get it to stay inside? I frequently wake up only to have the polyester inside taking over my bed and the cover itself a forgotten memory on the floor. At a subsequent visit to the showroom, I examined the show model of this bedding accessory--I was surprised to find that the show model had snaps to keep the opening shut. What a concept! Why doesn't mine have snaps? (I know I could easily add them myself, or a tie, or could just sew it up, but it's the principle here!) So after trying and testing many of those trendy but affordable accessories I'd had my radar on for years, it turns out that some are just a total waste of money. I can't stand IKEA!

I recently bought a cabinet unit from IKEA. For less than $60 I picked out a white cabinet the same size as my existing cabinets (although my cabinets are oak and it won't match anyway). It has a cabinet with a door on the top and an open microwave shelf on the bottom and is meant to be mounted to the wall above the counter where there should have been a cabinet in the first place. Very functional, right? I was impressed that I could piece together this semi-custom item for a decent price. I love IKEA!

I went to pick up my order. The man gave me several flat boxes, a bag of hardware, and a 6-foot long metal mounting bracket. He saw my perplexity at the size of the metal piece. "All the mounting brackets come that length, and you cut it to the right size," he informed me. "How am I supposed to cut it?" "Oh, any metal saw will work." What? A metal saw? Why would I have a metal saw? What have I gotten myself into? I threatened to return the ridiculously over sized stick of metal on the spot and go home without it, but would have had to wait another 20 minutes for them to call my number again...

So I brought it all home and set to work being resourceful with a screwdriver, a hammer, and pictogram instructions. It was almost looking like a cabinet when I discovered the door to the top half was the wrong size. They charged me for the right one, but simply picked the wrong one. No big deal, I guess. Mistakes happen...I'll just go exchange it. Now the cabinet is put together in all it's beauty sitting in my living room (and as a horizontal surface out of a two-year-old's reach has become storage for all manner of clutter-ous things). Our home teacher did us a favor and sawed the microwave shelf to the right depth and bolted it to the bottom shelf of the cabinet, then drilled a monstrous hole through both layers where we can thread the cord for the microwave. (Marketed as a microwave cabinet, shouldn't that have already been done for me?) Hmmm...this is turning out to be a bigger project than I thought. I have an appointment for my neighbor to come by at 8:00 tonight and finally mount it for me. I would have attempted it myself but he said something about finding the studs and how to drill it properly, and I just chickened out. I can put things together myself if all I need is a screwdriver, but actually maiming my wall? I'm not super confident in my ability to do it correctly...it would likely be crooked or fall on someones head.

What began in September as a realistic and affordable solution to kitchen storage needs has turned into a perpetually unfinished project that demeans my own confidence in myself to solve problems. I hate IKEA!

The Real Deal

Cafe Rio. If you've lived in, near, or have visited Utah in the last, well, five years, I'm pretty sure you've heard good things about Cafe Rio. It's yummy!

Well, as poor students and then as new parents, we don't get to go here very often. But they serve this tasty chicken salad we just can't live without, no matter how poor. Start with a fluffy, fresh tortilla encrusted with melted cheese. Then layer lettuce, cheese, tortilla strips, your favorite veggies, and shredded seasoned chicken on top of a bed of rice and black beans, top with creamy cilantro lime dressing, pico, and guac and you have heaven on an aluminum platter.

In between our merely bi-annual visits to this local mecca, we created our own imitation salad and eat it at home on a weekly basis. Our substandard salad consists of a layer of Zatarrain's Red Beans and Rice, shredded taco-seasoned chicken, and a close second to Cafe Rio's house dressing, Seven Seas Green Goddess dressing. Add to that a pre-packaged tortilla, shredded cheese, and a bed of lettuce. It's not quite as elaborate or delicious, but it does a pretty good job of satisfying our need to experience a taste of the royalty that is Cafe Rio.

Well today we took Chris's secretary, Tiffany, to lunch so he could show his appreciation for all she does. We took her to Cafe Rio. It was time see how close our knock-off is to the real deal and identify what adjustments we need to make to get closer to perfection. Well, of course my salad was delicious, but I realized that our salad at home is nothing like the real thing...not even close. In fact, it doesn't taste anything like the real thing. I guess this is a good thing because our homemade salad is tasty and affordable and since it is such a different flavor we can still eat it at home without being disappointed that it's close but not close enough to the real thing.

The moral of the story is that we failed miserably to recreate this salad, but at the same time, we can still enjoy our homemade salad for two more years until we are again due for a visit to Cafe Rio!

Some food for thought: Here's a random blog with some copy-cat Cafe Rio recipes; here's a thorough restaurant review.

Delicious Words

In "You've Got Mail" there's a really cute line where Kathleen Kelly describes why she likes reading Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. "I get lost in the language, words like 'Thither. Mischance. Felicity...'"

I'm in the process of reading the unabridged The Count of Monte Cristo and am finding it simply fantastic and indulging. It is so beatifully written and has such a descriptive vocabulary. I'm currently on page 263, which is only 17% through its over 1400 pages, but so far I've made a list of words that have made me smile as I came accross them--it's the concept of being able to use one perfectly appropriate word instead of using a complicating and less-descriptive combination of 2 or more words. Whats even more is that the author (Alexandre Dumas) uses these words, which are not obscure or obfuscating, in abstract ways and in exciting conjugations and contexts that provide an even richer meaning to the passage. I don't feel like I need to have a dictionary next to me while I read, and yet I find the writing so beautiful and rich. This is what it's like to read fantastic literature, and this is why it's a classic!

augury: an event that is experienced as indicating important things to come

physiognomy: the face or countenance, esp. when considered as an index to the character

sepulchral: suited to or suggestive of a grave or burial

munificence: liberality in bestowing gifts; extremely liberal and generous of spirit

misanthropy: hatred, dislike, or distrust of humankind

celerity: Swiftness of action or motion; speed

imeptuosity: rash impulsiveness

I'm sure I'll come across more fantastic words like these. I just wish I could keep reading all day!

Broken Up

How often do you really start a movie that you have to walk out of or turn off mid-way through? Usually we can tell pretty clearly if it is something we think is appropriate to watch or not, and we just avoid the trashy ones. I only remember actually walking out of a theater once (and it was the dollar theater even) when we just simply thought the movie was too stupid to be worth our time (Van Helsing). And whenever we turn off movies at home, its usually some crude humor movie that had the potential to be good (why we continue to try to watch those ones, I'm not sure...).


Last week, we got "The Break-Up" from the RedBox at the grocery store. I don't know how this movie got through our radar, but it was awful! Who wants to sit through two hours of watching a couple fight? We thought it would be funny, but it was just angry. It was just depressing to listen to this "couple" argue and demean each other, use hateful words, and basically act as though they had never actually loved each other by saying such cruel, loaded things. Chris and I both looked at each other about 45 minutes through and gave each other that knowing look, "Lets just go do something else."


Although the idea of the RedBox is nice--$1 a night for a DVD, return it to any RedBox location, etc--you are seriously limited in choice of movie to watch and end up just picking whatever you've heard about that you haven't already seen. I returned this movie to the RedBox before my 24 hours was up and said "good riddance." Then I came home and subscribed to Netflix.

Book Review: Twilight

I just finished reading Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. Although it is a New York Times Bestseller, I really didn't care for it that much. I'd give it 2 out of 5 stars.

Spoiler Warning! Read on at your own discretion...

The author is a BYU graduate, so I'm surprised that the book is really quite suggestive. It is definately geared toward teen/high school girls who silently pine for a certain someone (which described me in High School, so I can relate to the main character), but in some ways it irks me becuase I don't want my daughter to let boys in her bedroom and to talk about true undying love when she's only 17.

My biggest problem with the book, and why I think it is extremely suggestive, is the concept of pushing the limits. In this case its "I want to drink your blood but I'm going to get as close to you as possible anyway" but in my opinion, his "thirst" for her and his temptation to drink her blood strongly represents to me his physical arousal/attraction to her and his temptation to rape her... The writing isn't superb either, and it was pretty slow to get to the main events of the narrative. In my opinion the ending was rather anti-climactic. I doubt that I will read the next books in the series, especially since I hear that in the second, and particularly the third book, it is blatant in its references to sex. It doesn't seem like children's fiction at all...Anyway, that's my opinion, for what its worth!

Recent Discoveries

I've recently become familiar with the following things and I think they are pretty cool:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (this one's a given!)
Google Reader (thanks to Sarah)
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (Liz got this for me for my birthday)
Endless Pools (I'm expecting one for my next birthday...)
Our new Honda Civic (Thanks to Becky and Mom!)
Facebook

Although not fresh discoveries, I still think these ones are fabulous:

Michael Buble (He's really good looking in addition to being a fabulous musician!)
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser
Digital cameras
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese (I know I'm 24, but I never outgrew this one...)
Craigslist
Wikipedia

What am I missing?

Dental Dilemma

Chris visited the dentist and was told he had a mouth full of cavities. He was told to floss regularly and to come back for fillings. When he got home I asked him if he had gotten a free sample of dental floss. No. A free toothbrush? No. Now, you may think I should choose my battles better, but I really feel strongly that a goodie bag of a free "dentist recommended" toothbrush, a sample of toothpaste, and a small sample of floss should be a given when you visit the dentist.

When Chris returned a few weeks later for the fillings, I was very interested to see if he would bring home more than a receipt. I went with him so I could drive him home since he would most likely feel crummy. As I signed the credit card slip for several hundred dollars worth of fillings (and just our copay portion), I jokingly asked if it came with a free toothbrush. It didn't! Again, we came home without a handout! I'm shocked! I'm astonished! I'm unimpressed! I'm betrayed by the system.

Chris is baffled that I am willing to terminate our relationship with said dentist and find another based on the simple absence of a free toothbrush and dental floss sample. But seriously, they may save $4 per patient by not having a goodie bag, but that $4 savings for them causes me to not do business there again. And actually, I'm willing to venture that dental offices receive free product samples from toothbrush and toothpaste companies for the sole purpose of giving them away to patients to get their products in the mouths of Americans.

I think I'm justified in being outraged. Wouldn't you?

Beat boxing boy vs. dazzling vocalist-Who will it be?

From the time of the top 24, I've felt that this season's American Idol finalists weren't what they were last year. I mean last year, Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry, Katharine McPhee, and even Elliott Yamin (Ack!) none of which won the finale, came out with record deals and a great career underway. Last season I was on the edge of my seat from the 6th finalist on not really sure who would win because the competition was so fierce and matched so perfectly. By the end, I was clueless as to who would win, and to be honest I didn't really care. Taylor and Katharine are both talented and they both deserved it, although I do think Chris should have made it at least one more round (as opposed to Elliott).

I've not been as impressed with this year's finalists. I think for the most part they've all been talented (with the exception of Sanjaya). But did Melinda Doolittle's fantastic musical talent really represent America? This time around, its been a toss up for me as to who gets voted off each week--they all seemed mediocre compared to last season's finalists, and I can't forsee as many non-winners getting record deals. I've been impressed with Blake's daring style, surprised that with such a unique calling card he's made it to the finale. He's talented, he's cute, he's got a nice ballad-like voice when he's singing songs he hates. Jordin is amazingly talented at only 17, I can't imagine how terrific she'll sound in a few years, assuming of course she doesn't turn into a brittney or a christina. It was a terrific finale. But as Simon said last night, Blake was the entertainer and Jordin was the vocalist. Hands down, Jordin ruled the show.

There's my prediction, for what it's worth.

"Tennis lessons, my foot!"

I'm not the most well read person I know, especially coming from a family of English majors. But there is one fine piece of fiction that I wouldn't mind reading again and again and again...Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca.

Our heroine meets the wealthy widower, Maxim DeWinter, while employed as a "paid companion" to a woman vacationing in France. She is quickly swept off her feet while she supposedly takes tennis lesson, and returns with him to Manderley, his mansion estate, to become lady of the house. The problem is that the late Mrs. DeWinter, Rebecca, was the pinnacle of perfection. Everyone adored her, and although its been over a year since her tragic death in a boating accident, Manderley has not changed at all.

This 1938 novel may be dark and mysterious, but I love the heroine, who is strategically never given a first name. She is naive, fragile, stubborn, gullible, and incredibly insecure. She is constantly haunted by the effervescent Rebecca, whose memory lingers in every room of Manderley, in every desk drawer, and in every coat pocket.

2nd Mrs DeWinter: "Tell me, what was Rebecca really like"
Frank Crawley: "Well...I suppose she was the most beautiful creature I ever saw."

My life is in no way dark and secretive, I'm not terribly ignorant nor am I a pushover, and I'm not haunted by the memory of a former wife, but in many ways, I relate to this woman. I'm pretty insecure and naive about a few things. I thrive on complete openness and un-questioned admiration from my spouse, qualitites which the second Mrs. DeWinter languished for.

Perhaps one of the reasons I'm so drawn to this book is that in the end, when all truths have been revealed, the couple is finally able to embrace as husband and wife, completely in love, and total allies in their honesty.

Every time I read this book again or watch the brilliantly made film (Alfred Hitchcock, 1940), I get chills. The dialoge is smart and satirical, the story line exceptional with its surprises and secrets revealed. Even the casting of the film is great! I think about my favorite lines at random moments and am lured back into the world of Rebecca.

Here are a few brilliant lines for your reading enjoyment:

Nameless Heroine: "Oh, I wish I were a woman of 36, dressed in black satin with
a string of pearls."
Maxim: "You wouldn't be here with me if you were...Please promise me never to wear black satin or pearls, or to be thirty-six years old."

Maxim: "Which would you prefer? New York or Manderley?"
Heroine: "Oh, please don't joke about it."
Maxim: "I repeat what I said. Either you go to America with Mrs. VanHopper, or you come home to Manderley with me."
Heroine: "You mean you want a secretary or something?"
Maxim: "I'm asking you to marry me you little fool!"
(Then he tells her how he takes his tea, and urges her never to forget it...)

(Pictured: Joan Fontaine, who plays the second Mrs. DeWinter in the film Rebecca)